Senior Accountant

Under the general direction of the Assistant Finance Director, performs advanced professional governmental accounting work involving the preparation, analysis, reconciliation, and reporting of complex financial transactions and records. This position plays a key role in the City’s year‑end close and audit process, including preparation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), year‑end journal entries, and extensive audit support. Responsibilities include maintaining the general ledger, ensuring strong internal controls, performing detailed financial analysis, reconciling payroll and benefits to the general ledger, and supporting budget, grant, capital, and debt‑related accounting activities. The Senior Accountant provides high‑level technical expertise, resolves complex accounting issues, and supports City departments through accurate financial reporting and compliance with applicable standards and regulations.

 Serves as a lead professional and team leader for the Accounting Team, providing day-to-day guidance, oversight, and technical direction to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and adherence to internal controls and financial policies.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Prepare, maintain, analyze, verify, and reconcile complex financial transactions, records, and highly technical reports; review general ledger accounts, make necessary adjustments, and ensure the effectiveness of internal controls, including support for the development, documentation, and improvement of internal control policies.

• Maintains and reconciles the City's general ledger accounting system; prepares monthly and year-end journal entries; performs monthly accounting reconciliations; prepares and distributes departmental reports.

• Serve as the primary owner of the City’s fixed asset accounting module, ensuring capital asset activity is accurately recorded, reconciled to the general ledger, and compliant with GASB requirements, including year‑end reconciliation, reporting, and audit support.
• Perform a heavy role in audit preparation and coordination, including compiling schedules, supporting documentation, and analyses; responding to auditor inquiries; researching issues; resolving findings; and assisting with internal and external audit reviews and special examinations.
• Prepare the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and related year‑end financial statements, schedules, and disclosures; ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with GASB requirements and reporting standards.
• Monitors and ensures compliance with federal, state, and local grant requirements, including accurate financial reporting and adherence to applicable regulations.
• Administers all aspects of grant accounting, including tracking revenues and expenditures, preparing reimbursement requests, coordinating documentation, leading preparation of the annual Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA), and supporting audits and grant-related reviews.
• Review and approve weekly Accounts Payable payment batches, ensuring proper documentation, coding accuracy, compliance with internal controls, and adherence to City policies prior to disbursement.
• Review and support payroll processing, including detailed reconciliation of payroll, benefits, taxes, and deductions to the general ledger, ensuring accurate posting and coordination with Human Resources.

• Monitor and maintain debt service schedules and payments: record, reconcile, and analyze debt-related transactions and activity.

• Recommend and assist in the implementation of departmental goals, objectives, policies, and procedures; establish schedules and methods to improve operational efficiency
• Assist with the implementation of new accounting system modules, processes, reporting tools, and financial technology enhancements.

• Prepares various monthly, quarterly, annual and special reports as required for internal needs, state, federal or other statutory requirements
• Leads, mentors, and supports Accounting Team staff by providing training and ongoing technical guidance
• Perform related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or a related field and five (5) years of accounting experience, preferably in a governmental agency; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. A Master’s degree in Accounting and/or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential is preferred.

 Special Qualifications:

• Possession of a valid driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle.  Requirement exists at the time of hire and as a condition of continued employment.
• Expected to have or obtain North Carolina Governmental Finance Certification within two years of hire.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of GAAP and GASB standards as applied to municipal/governmental accounting, including financial reporting and compliance requirements.
• Strong understanding of internal controls, auditing practices, budgetary policies, and applicable local, state, and federal laws governing fiscal operations.
• Proficiency in general ledger accounting, financial analysis, journal entries, reconciliations, and preparation of complex financial statements and reports.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including the ability to analyze large data sets, build and review complex spreadsheets, perform reconciliations, and support financial analysis and reporting.
• Experience with ERP and accounting software systems.
• Skill in budgeting, auditing, grant accounting, capital asset accounting, and year‑end financial and audit support activities.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to investigate discrepancies, dig into data, identify root causes, and develop effective solutions.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain financial information to both financial and non‑financial audiences.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, auditors, vendors, and external agencies.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive financial and payroll information.
• Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to work collaboratively, provide technical guidance and mentorship, and contribute to continuous process improvement and team success.
• Ability to train and provide technical assistance to all levels of city staff.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Work in this classification is defined as light work requiring the physical exertion of up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demands require climbing, crouching, crawling, standing, walking and lifting. Vocal communication is required for responding to inquiries, expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels. Visual acuity is required for extensive reading, to prepare and analyze written or computer data, determine the accuracy and thoroughness of work, and observe general surroundings and activities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is primarily performed in an office with a controlled environment without exposure to harmful conditions.